Bleeder device interconnecting wall headers of coke-oven underfiring system



J. VAN ACKEREN BLEEDER DEVICE INTERCONNECTING WALL HEADERS I Aug. l, 1950 OF COKE-OVEN UNDERFIRING SYSTEM lNVENTOR JOSEPH VAN flcKsREv MSATTORNEY Filed Aug. 14, 1945 vvU/ Patented Aug. 1, 1950 BLEEDER DEVICE IN IERCO-NNECTING WALL HEADERS OF COKE-OVEN UNDERFIRING u SYSTEM Joseph van Ackeren, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignoto Koppers Company, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application August 14, 1945, Serial No. 610,693

6 Claims. (Ci. 202-151) Byproduct coke ovens are often heated by the` combustion of coke oven gas in fiues located on the opposite sides of the oven and separated from the oven by refractory walls. The coke oven gas normally has a B. t. u. Value of 525 to 600 B.

More E t. ufs per cubic foot and will burn with preheated g air with a comparatively short fiame. It is the practice therefore to dilute the gas-air mixture being burned to modify the fiame to produce a long flame combustion in order to secure a more uniform distribution of heat over the oven walls;`

or in the oven flues. The gases for oombustion may be diluted with products of combustion commonly called "was'te gases` which are composed principally of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water vapor as described in my Patent No. 2,306,678 v granted December 29, 1942.

In the heating cycle of a coke oven, particularly an underjet oven of the type described in my Patent 2306578, the fuel and air for comfices at various points along the heating wall so that the suction created by different burner aspirators varies. The burners creating the greatest suction tend to draw waste gases into the distributing piping of the oif burners and it is found that the acid constituents` in the waste gases condense in the distributing piping and cause serious corrosion.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus for protecting fuel gas piping of a coke oven burner system to prevent corrosion of the piping.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus for alternately heating ues at opposite sides of a coke oven wherein the waste gas from an off flue is utilized in the gas being ing gas burner piping :from corrosion which bustion are admitted through a series of burners i mounted under the floor of the oven flues and distributed along the entire length of the oven. In the first half of the heating cycle the products of combustion pass upwardly through an on flue on one side of the oven wall and then` pass up over the top of the oven and down through an "off" flue at the opposite side of the oven. The waste gases pass from the off flue through a regenerator below the oven, the heat of the regenerator being utilized for preheating the air for i combustion. During the second half of the heating cycle the fuel gas and air are introduced at the bottom of the former off fiue, pass up through the fiue and cross over the oven and down through the former on flue to a regenerator. During the entire heating cycle waste gas is taken from the u bottom of the off fiue and mixed with a fuel gasair mixture being burned in the on` flue. The

:burner mixer tubes entering the bottom of the i off flues do notthave fuel gas passing through recirculation ducts with the corresponding burn-` p ers of the ofl" flues through which the waste gases are supplied to the on burners. All of the burni ers for the fiues on one side of an oven are connected with a single gas distributing header. The

` burner inspirating nozzles have different gas orihereinafter described and defined in the appended claims.

The various features of the invention are illustrated in the accomparying drawing which is a vertical sectional View of a portion of a byproduct coke oven battery showing the application of the gas burning equipment of the present in-y vention to the coke ovens. l

Referring to the drawing coke ovens ID are mounted` in a refractory structure with heating flues IZ at each side of the oven and separated by refractory walls l4. The ovens are heated by com-bustion of gas within the fiues [2. A common` heating cycle consists of two heating operations, the first heating operation being carried on in an on fiue with the waste gases passing upwardly through the flue, then through a crossover fl-ue IS and down through an off flue !2. In

the second half of the heating operation the` gases are burned in the former ofi` flue, pass up through the flue, then through the cross-over fine' `supply pipe has an inspirator nozzle 26 which with a stack (not shown). .regenerator is open when the regenerator is sup- 3 projects into a Venturi throat 28 of the aspirator 211. The branch supply pipe i is connected with a distributing pipe wall header SE! that is connected by a ppe 32 with a supply main 34. In therconnecti-ng pipe 32 is-mounted a control valve sfiiwhch is a, plug type valve that is op erated between oiT and on positions. The mixing tubes of each of the burners extend from the bottom of a ue !2 to the aspirator 28. The connecting or recirculating duet 22 extends from a mixing tube of a burner in one fiue uz across to the corresponding mixing tube for a burner in the fiue at the opposite sideof the. coke oven; When gas is supplied to a burner tube the jet inspirator of the aspirator 20 creates a suction in the connecting duct 22 which acts to, cause a portion of the waste gases fio'wing through an off fiue to pass down through the mixing tube of the burners at theopposite side of the oven,

;thencethroughthe connecting duct and into the aspirator'zfi of the on burner. The waste gas is :mixed with the fuel gases in the on burner` mixing tube and flowsfrom the upper end of the mixing tube into the bottom of the flue 12. The

gas issuing romthe mixing tube is met with a stream of preheated air which enters the bottom of a fiue !2 through conduts 33 extending from the upper portioncf regenerators The aspirator of the bur-ner is designed to draw into .the mixing tube le a volume of waste gas-about equal to the Volume of fuel gas being supplied :from the line 2 3. With a 550 B. t. u. coke oven gas being burned the diluted miXture reaching the top of the mixing tube` !8 *will have a B. t. u. value of approximately 250 B. t. u..'s per cubic foot. This gas which is diluted with wastefiue gas gives a long flame conbustion which is distributed throughout the width and height of the heating flue and thus provides a uniform and controlledheating of the walls of the coke oven.

ltisunderstood that the amount of fuel gas and flue gas may be varied in order to obtain the desired heating of' the oven. The air for support ing combustion of the gas is supplied through. a door 42. for eachregenerator and passes into a duet 43 at the bottom of each regenerator.

From the duct 43 the air passes up'througha Lregenerator to to the ofitake conduits esto support. combustionin the fiues !2` It will be understood that the air beingsupplied to the burner passes through two of the regenerators' and .the waste gases passing outvof the bottom of "theflue !2 pass through two of the regenerators.

Thewaste gases pass down through' the regenerators into the ducts 4.3 and out through pipes 45' into a-waste gas fiue 44 whichis connected The air door to a plyingair to a fiue being heated and closed when waste gases are passing through the regenerator. When the *waste gases pass through the re- *generator the refractory brick in the regenera- `-tor are heated so that the airpassing through the regenerator on the next cycle will be preheated to increase the temperature of the com- -bustion gases passing through the fiue.

The uel gas valves 36 which control the supply of gas to all of the burners for heating the flues' IZ are connected together by an Operating cable 46 so that when the cable is moved to op- As shown in while the valves 35 governing the supply of fuel 7 gas to the fiues of the left hand heating wall of each pair of heating walls are closed. When the valve levers 48 are moved by the cable 48 to the position inwhich thelevers ta extend to the left of the pipes 52, the valves 36 governing the supply of uel gas to the fiues of the left hand Wall of each pair of walls are open and the valves 35 governing the supply of fuel gas to the right wall of each pair of walls are closed. When the valve levers 43 are set in a position so as to extend to the left of the pipes 32, the

'valve 36 at 'the left hand side will be open to supply gas to the fiue at the left of the oven ili and' the valve onthe right side Will be set to close the supply of gas to the burners for the right flue i. When gas is supplied for combustion in a flue, the flue and burner are reerred to as an "on ue" and the "on burner," and at the same tiine the fiue and. burner on the oppositeside of the oven are the "ofi ue" and off burner. With the above described operation, therefore, the fiue and burners alternately become "on" and-"of flues and' burners.

The waste gases generally contain substantial amounts of acid constituents. For exampleSOz, NO2 and NO are generally present and sometimes HCI and SOs are present in smallamounts. If these gasesv have an opportunity` to condense in contact with any metal parts they actively corrode the metal and thus interfere with the proper operation of the burners.

Due to the Construction and size of a coke oven it is necessary to supply more gas-for heating the oven near its discharge'` end thannear the pusher end. Accordingly, the nozzles of the aspirating burners near the discharge end of the oven are provided with larger orices than are employed in the burners near'` the pusher end of the oven and these larger orifices create a larger suction than is created by the burners near the pusher end of the oven. As explained above, this suction action of the aspirators acts to draw the waste gasesfroma fine downthrough the burner tubes !8 o the off burners into the connecting ducts' 22. When a burner is operating in the ofi= position no gas passes through the associated control valve' se and at this; time the burners producing the highest suctiontend to draw waste gases from the off burners having a lower suction down through the branch pipes 24 into the distributing pipes'wall headers- 30. The pipes 24 and 30 have been found inzpracticeto be sufficiently cool to condense'acidconstituents from the waste gases'ln the distributingipiping and thus set up active corrosion* in the piping.

To prevent the corrosion of'the'supply pipingaa cross tube 58 is connected between gas supply pipes 32 with an orice disc 52 mounted'therein. The opening in the disc is carefully proportioned so that sufiicient gas will fiow'from-the pipes! in which the control valve 36 is open to the associated'pipe 32 in which thegcontrol valves& is closed to cause gas to'flow throughsuch' other pipe 32' and thence upwardly through :the branch pipes 24 to the recirculation ducts 22. This bleeder gas will mix with the Waste-=gas passing through the ducts 22 and will flow upwardly through the mixingtubes 18' to burn inthe on flues. Regardless of which one of' the va1ve-36 is open, gas will pass to the branch pipes-21 of the off burners. The gas passing through the orifice'52 constitutes approximately '5% of the 'gas supplied to-the burners but, since` this gasgoes 'back to the mixing tiobesof;` the on burners, no gasds lost. 'Ifhe pressure" and Volume of the gas fldwng through the bleeder tube will ?overcome the unequal suction action of the various burner aspirators and prevent waste 'gas froin jentering into the branch pipes 24 and the supply pipes 3%.

`It will be understood that in the operation of the valves for reversing the flow of cornbstion gases through the flues in carrying out'theheating cycle of the oven, the gas valvesfisfi and the air doors 42 are operated simultaneou'sly to reverse the flow of heating gases. The air door 42` for controlling the snpply of air to the flues of each heating wall' are connected by means` of operating levers 54 with a cable 56. The means for operating the cables 5 5 and a& are interco'nnected with a driving mechanism (not shown) to carry out the sinultaneous movement of theair and gas valves. The heating operation of the ovens is continuous so that the ovens are being heated while they are being charged and discharged and during the coking operation.

While the preferred format the invention has been described as appled to a burrier equipment used to heat flues located on opposite sides of an oven, it is to be understood that the same burner arrangement nay be used for heating 'that type of ofi and on flues which are located and arranged along one side only of a coke oven wall.

`'I'he preferred form of the invention having o been thus described, what is claimed as new is: h

1. A gas burning apparatus for heating coke ovens comprising: h a series of horizontal coke ovens, a series of `heating flues at each side of each oven, a series of aspirating burners positioned to introduce fuel gas into theflues at the side of an oven, said burners being connected in pairs with a connecting duet between the aspirators of each pair, one burner being an on burner for supplying gas to a fine while the other burner `is an ofi burner and vice-versa, distributing pipes mounted below each coke oven, supply piping connecting the fiue bnrners with a distributing pipe, a gas supply main, valved connections between the distributing pipes and the gas supply main, said valves being connected together and arranged to supply gas to the on burners of a pair while the gasto the off burners is cut oli, a bleeder device for each pair of burners arranged to supply fuel gas from the supply main to the off burners when the on burners are Operating,

each bleeder devlce conlprising an orifice disc Inounted in a bleeder line connected between the burner distributing pipes to admit a limited supply of gas to the set of burners that are in the o? position, and means for Operating` the `valves to the on and o positions. h

2. A gas burning apparatus for heating coke ovens comprising: a series of horizontal coke ovens, a series of heating flues at each` side of each oven, a series of aspirating burners p`osi-` tioned to introduce uel gas into the flues atthe side of an oven, said burners being connected in pairs with a connecting duet between the aspirators of each pair, one burner being an on burner for supplying gas to a flue while the other burner is an off burner and vice-versa, distributing pipes mounted below each coke oven, supply piping connecting the fine burners with a distributing pipe, a gas supply main, `valved connections between the distributing pipes and the gas supply main, said valves being connected together ranged tosupply fuel gas from the supply main to' thefoffburners when the on burners arebper" ating,each bleeder device being provided witlt a,` restrictiojn which gives a limited open co`m`m`i`nlcation between the distributing pipes of a pair of b urners,and means for Operating the valvs totheonand'oif positions. ,h i h 3. In a regenerative horizontal coke-,oven bat-' posite sides of horizontal coking chamberS,` the' flues of` the heating walls associated with `a selected coking chamber being communicably in`-` teronnected at their upper parts into a first and a second setlfor" operation in alternation with upfiowcombustion in one set of flues and oncur -v rent downfiow of the combustion products in `the other set ot flues, regenerators beneath the heat ing walls and coking chambers with regenerator division walls paralleling" the coking charbers, fuel gas conduits each individual to a heating flue and extending upwardly through regenerator division walls to port into the lower parts of the heating fiuesflecirculation ducts connecting the fuel gas eonduits for the fluesof one set with the fuel gas `conduits for the flues of the other set, jet means including gas nozzles individual to` the respective fuelgas conduits for suppl'ying uel gas thereto, each jet means being disposed atthe region of juncture of its fuel gas conduit with the recirculation duct therefor soa to reduce the pressure in said reeirculation duct and thereby induce flow of wastegas from the bottoms of the flues of each set, when operable for down-` flow, through their idle fuel gas conduits and the recirculation ducts into the fuel gas conduits of the flues of theother set when concurrently opera connected through branch pipes, a first valve movable between an open and a closed position" and governing the supply of fuel gas to said first supply pipe, a second valve movable between an` open and a closed position and governing the supply of fuel gas to said second supply pipo; conduit connections between thefirst and second supply pipes having a restriction therein arranged to supply fuel gas to the first supply pipe at a predetermined restricted rate when said first valve is in closed position and said second valve is in open position, said conduit connections between sai'd second and first supply pipes being arranged to supply fuel gas to said second supply pipe at a predetermined restricted rate when the' second valve is in closed position and said first valve is in open position.

4; In a regenerative horizontal coke-oven bat-` tery having vertically flued heating walls on opposite sides of horizontal coking chambers, the flues` of the heating walls associated with a selected coking charnber being communicably interconnectedtfthr upper parts into a first and a second set for operation in alternation with up-` fiow fcornbustion in'one set of flues and con current 'downflow of the combustion products in the other set of flues, regenerators beneath the heatingwalls and coking chambers with regener-` ator division walls paralleling the coking chambers, fuel gas conduits each individual to a heat and arranged to supply gas to the on burners of I a pair while the gas to theofi burners is cut off,

a bleeder device for eachpair of burners aring fiue'iand extending upwardly through the regenerator division walls to port into thelower parts of 'the heating flues, recirculation ducts connecting' the fuel conduits for the flues of( tery having vertically flued heating walls on`op-. h

dipoctattheregon of juncture'bf its fueLgas 4.

cd'duit With' the rec'irculation duct there fore so as to reluce the press'u rejin said rcirculation dijet I and] the'reby induc'e flow of waste a from w d off th fiues f i e h t, Wh opera ablejfor' downow, through their d1" fu1' gas cod'its andflthe re'circulation'ducts into the fuel c9nu :o .the fi Q th er ;whe o i i nt y p abl r l pfl w ombus on; r t u'pp y p'e t w h he n zz as ated ith theiflues of said first'set are connected eh b h p ps i sec n iis p pi f to h hei z xl ass i t d'wth g el q 4 second I set i are; connected through pranon pi s, a fi t l e j betwee an l nd a :clo e p io ransi o n n he' imp y f fuel gasito 'said first suppls pipegasecond valve m able" between' an open and a closed position and g "verning the `supply of fuel gas to` said se c ony suppy pine; and a pipe communication of predeterrnined restricted flow apacity through,

in' alternation for upfiow. ombnstion infone wall di n u r t' do n of he t m ti n pr oohcts` in the other wall regenerators beneath tli'e heating Walls ad coking chambers With re h e, iiri ual h ri o, &fu j gas su `pipe sitia'ted in said passage'way anti o'n ct ych v hv o l .of. e n le ber with theuel gas conduits for the "set associated with the same i',

6. regenerativehorizontal coke oven hav'- in'g"`v calls? flued heating'walis on oppositesides fjhz izpi tal 'c li i i e e h us h heatingwallsofo osite s'ids of alte natecokh e fjlb in kc d h u er parts'by cro ssoverducts into a first set comprising the flues in one' all` 'and a second set comi n i' hei ne int to r ll f r opratiofi ja j mati n pr ru iw m cn in on a and oncu rrent downfiow of the combustion prddis h h r w l re j r t n th e e wa l a "1 i mb & .W h eratorciivisi'on Wal is' paralleling thecoking chams ja u prtinc na for tab v n( accessible 'passageway fuel gas'conduits each individual'td a heating fiue and 'extending sub stantially from the wen-supporting' mat upwardly tl rou'gh regenerator divisionwalls to port into the si aftstfthe' .he i fiu r c io diict C t ;t e el. as. ,conduts h u l t e st t a o' a t a ok cha b rw th he fueliga conduits for the fiues of the second setjassociated with the same cokirg mb t ;m a f c d g s. n zzl nd Vd T l SPC 3, :5 F S Q 1 plyn'g elffga thjre'to, each jet means being disposeci at the region of juncture of its fuel gascondui'tjwi thtthe recirculation duct there-` fojr sc as' tofred ce the 'pi'essure in said reci'rc flat n du ctar djthr eby' induce oW of Waste gas fronit 'e 'bttoms QIT# the flues of each set, when` opera'ble forj'downfiow through their idle fuel gas conduits and the recirc'lation ducts into the: ful' gascondulitsof the fiues of the other set when concnrtently operable for upflow com-L busti'o; each gheating wall having individual thereto afuel 'ga su'pply pipe situated in said passagway and connected byv branch pipes to all of the jnozzles associatedwith said wall each fuel' gas supply ppe having individual thereto a valve mo'vable between an openanda closed positio' i` and governir'g the'jsipplyof`'fue1 gas to said' supply pipe, the combination With the foregoing apparatnsof'means for preventing circulation of' ;Y products 'pi omloi'stion through said fuel gas supply p pes' and the branch pips connected thereto between different nozzles associated there With and therby'fpreventing corrcsion of said:

pipes by saidproduts of combustion, said means comprising for eachof the fuel gas suppiy pipes associated With'the' heating wall forming a pair of heating auscondnjt 'connections between the' ai i ii ply es" h v n fiowrestricting devc therein fo r s ipplyng fuel gas in a pre;-

JOSEPH vAit-ACKEREN RFn cEs CITED The followingreferenc'es are of record in the fileof thispatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Numb r? ei ;me Date ,0L9A83` Beckr Nov. 5, 1935 e 2, 30 6`,7. v kren D ec,29; 19 12 75 2381615" Schafer Oct; 23,"1945 

